Monday, 6 August 2012

ripples and stained glass continued

I seem to have merged these two projects in my mind and my file structure. Today I worked on another acrylic of a ripple photograph from the canal basin. I chose a smaller brush than the one I was using yesterday - ripples and reflections need precision or they just look messy. I painted on the balcony, wearing my long ancient french peasant smock. I stand with my back to the view, tucked under the little bit of overhang. I am reminded of a scene in one of my favourite books, Handling Sin, where a character spends all his days on his balcony on a southern plantation copying in shaky detail the small postcards of Paris he has clipped to his easel. Interrupted by gusty rain, where the wind drove the droplets sideways onto the canvas. Indoors is too much Olympic fever for concentrated painting.

Yesterday's painting needs tightening up and doing the lower section, which is reflected brickwork.

I've been doing quick sketches - I like the blue ripples but realised two things - one, don't use water soluble felt pen if you are then going to do water colour washes one top, and two, if you want separated blocks of colour don't forget to make the lines continuous. Like the general idea though, and will turn this into a proper piece. I'm intending to do four of these square pictures to hang as a single block.

The teal coloured one will have a completely different feel to it - both in the colour scheme and the roundness of the shapes.

I've also been playing with simple shapes for the stained glass. Trying to think of what might be possible to cut. Straight lines would be easiest. I figure if I generate lots of possibilities I should be able to make up my mind what to make quickly when I see the glass available and find out how hard it is to cut accurately.